For a project where the owner prioritizes the lowest price and the design and construction teams will have separate contracts, which delivery method is typically most appropriate?

For a project where the owner prioritizes the lowest price and the design and construction teams will have separate contracts, which delivery method is typically most appropriate?

• A. Integrated Project Delivery
• B. Design-Bid-Build
• C. Design-Build
• D. Construction Management At-Risk

Answer: (C)

The situation tests how a project delivery method supports getting the lowest price while keeping design and construction under separate contracts. Design-bid-build fits this goal best. In this approach, the design team works under its own contract to complete the design, and once the design is ready, the project is bid to construction firms under independent contractor agreements. The construction price is then determined through competitive bidding, which is the primary mechanism that drives the lowest price. Because the design and construction teams remain separate, the process emphasizes price competition for the construction phase rather than an integrated team approach. Other methods bundle design and construction or emphasize early collaboration, which tends to improve schedule and cost certainty but does not align with the goal of achieving the lowest price through separate contracts.

The situation tests how a project delivery method supports getting the lowest price while keeping design and construction under separate contracts. Design-bid-build fits this goal best. In this approach, the design team works under its own contract to complete the design, and once the design is ready, the project is bid to construction firms under independent contractor agreements. The construction price is then determined through competitive bidding, which is the primary mechanism that drives the lowest price. Because the design and construction teams remain separate, the process emphasizes price competition for the construction phase rather than an integrated team approach.

Other methods bundle design and construction or emphasize early collaboration, which tends to improve schedule and cost certainty but does not align with the goal of achieving the lowest price through separate contracts.